huntscout
New member
Congrats! What a great start to the hunt. Looks like you guys are up in the higher country. Does it seem like most of the deer are still high or have some started to migrate to lower areas?
Unexpected Arizona Early 12AW hunt.
- Thread starter Simeod
- Start date
Simeod
Well-known member
Up near the Aspen stands are where we've seen the most, but honestly they seem spread out all over.
I did this same hunt in 2014 and had the same issue. I think I had 5 miles to shut down when I got there. They fixed in a couple of hours and was on my way back.
Arizona Mule Deer Hunt
This ended up a little longer than I thought it would be, but it is a blow by blow accounting of my hunt, for the most part. On edit, have to split in to two post as I have too many characters. My Arizona deer hunt started out with the realization that under the current system I would never...
www.hunttalk.com
Simeod
Well-known member
The father in-law got his first deer! Actually his first big game animal ever. It's a forty, but he's in his late 60s and a little mobility impared and that was the one that gave him the broad side shot. All of the hours at the range, trigger exercises and where you want to put the shot paid off big time another great shot and a deer that didn't go 50 feet.
He was extatic and I couldn't have been happier for him.
I'm the only one left with a tag, and honestly don't know if I will fill it. Two deer is a lot of meat in the freezer and I am content. We are going to hunt another day or two and we'll see. I've already gotten everything I wanted.
He was extatic and I couldn't have been happier for him.
I'm the only one left with a tag, and honestly don't know if I will fill it. Two deer is a lot of meat in the freezer and I am content. We are going to hunt another day or two and we'll see. I've already gotten everything I wanted.
Simeod
Well-known member
We've had a good cold spell, but it's warming back up. The bigger bucks are still at the higher elevations and We've been near aspen stands for all of the bigger bucks. Best of luck! I can honestly say this has been a heck of a hunt for me and my family.
Simeod
Well-known member
Well this brings this hunt to a close. I did not fill my tag, but have no regrets. This hunt was everything I hoped for. My wife, son, and father in-law tagged out and that was all I truly wanted. It has been an incredible adventure with some stumbling blocks early, but it all worked out.
Thank you all for reading my poor writing and for all of the well wishes. I hope you all have success this year.
Next month we will be trying to get my son and father in-law cow elk in unit 9.
In the morning we have to figure out how to get all this crap back in the trucks.
Thank you all for reading my poor writing and for all of the well wishes. I hope you all have success this year.
Next month we will be trying to get my son and father in-law cow elk in unit 9.
In the morning we have to figure out how to get all this crap back in the trucks.
Simeod
Well-known member
Some closing thoughts and a photo of the almost finished euro mounts.
This was the first time using all copper bullets for this trip, .30-06 150g Barnes TTS-X. I'm sold. Incredible performance on all three shots. Every deer was visible from the point of impact.
Snap caps are a great training tool. I used snap caps for everyone to practice dry firing their rifles everyday while on the hunt. It killed the flinch and reinforced good trigger squeeze. All 3 shots were excellent.
Road hunters suck, but for some of the older hunters we saw I get it. Saw some good people turning around where we had parked at the entrance of a two track that isn't on the MVUM, but there were plenty who did not and even passed us on the trail as we hiked in. Public land hunting can be really frustrating and make you use all the bad words you know, but until we win the next billion dollar lottery it's what we got.
Side note: My home is Yuma AZ, and is there anybody left in Idaho? Seriously. I saw more Idaho plates at the grocery store today than AZ plates.
This was the first time using all copper bullets for this trip, .30-06 150g Barnes TTS-X. I'm sold. Incredible performance on all three shots. Every deer was visible from the point of impact.
Snap caps are a great training tool. I used snap caps for everyone to practice dry firing their rifles everyday while on the hunt. It killed the flinch and reinforced good trigger squeeze. All 3 shots were excellent.
Road hunters suck, but for some of the older hunters we saw I get it. Saw some good people turning around where we had parked at the entrance of a two track that isn't on the MVUM, but there were plenty who did not and even passed us on the trail as we hiked in. Public land hunting can be really frustrating and make you use all the bad words you know, but until we win the next billion dollar lottery it's what we got.
Side note: My home is Yuma AZ, and is there anybody left in Idaho? Seriously. I saw more Idaho plates at the grocery store today than AZ plates.
Wyhunter
Well-known member
I was stationed in yuma for a year as a combat marksmanship instructor... yuck. That place was HOT! Always full of the snow birds.
